Thursday, January 30, 2014

Not that the remake doesn't have its charms, but I prefer the classic Clash of the Titans witches.

The Eyeless is generally considered the least of the Witches of the Grand Coven by those who study that foul alliance. She acted as the Coven's spymaster, sending her invisible Unseen to infiltrate the Alliance of Light's war councils and her lesser Banes to watch troop movements. Not discovering the plot between the Seelie Fey and the human armies that led to the destruction of the Djinn was her greatest failure.

How a being so paranoid could have missed such an important detail despite her normal exactitude puzzles many. It appears she is now anathema to her former allies, and may even be on the run from them.

This suits the Eyeless just fine. She never trusted her supposed allies; they were always planning to betray her. The Djinn was the worst; it's obvious to the Eyeless that her supposed death was all part of a complicated doublecross and that the mysterious Djinn was allied with the Fey all along. Now the Eyeless has returned to the darkness of her caves in order to watch and plot.

Goals

The Eyeless plans to destroy her enemies by learning their secrets and striking when the time is right.

Unfortunately, she thinks everyone is her enemy.

The Eyeless is trapped in a spiral of paranoia and indecision, thinking everyone and every thing is out to destroy her. She sits alone with her crystal ball in a pitch-black cave far from any habitation, watching the world through the eyes of her Banes. Her greatest fear is her own creation, for even she cannot see the Unseen.

Style of Magic

The Eyeless' magic concentrates on scrying and tricks of the light. She knows (and may have invented) every known illusion and detection spell. Her Banes are all linked to her crystal ball, and her attention is divided across the whole of Morden.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

The Unseen were created by the Eyeless One, the Witch who acted as the Grand Coven's spymaster. Made permanently invisible by the Witch's magic, the Unseen were used as assassins and spies during the Bane War, and then abandoned to their own misery when the war ended.

The defining power of the Unseen is invisibility. They do not have any magical attacks or increases to their abilities, but invisibility is an exceptionally dangerous tool. Savvy Unseen have learned to take advantage of deadly tactics to increase their effectiveness.

Witchbreed Package

All Unseen gain the following racial package:

Blank Expression:
Just as a character with the Blind Hindrance receives a -2 penalty to most
social tasks because the character can’t “read” other people’s body language,
so too does an Unseen character receive a -2 penalty on most social tasks
because others literally cannot see her expression. You can’t make eye contact if somebody can’t
see your eyes.

Invisibility: The
naked bodies of the Unseen are permanently invisible, as per the power. Other characters suffer a -6 penalty to
Notice an Unseen and to attack rolls against her or him. There is no penalty if the Unseen is wearing normal, opaque clothing. If the Unseen is wielding a visible tool or weapon -- or has been splashed with paint or something else to make him visible -- then attacks are resolved as normal called shots against visible targets.

Megalomania: The
ability to observe without being seen inevitably leads the Unseen to an
overinflated sense of their own power.
All Unseen have the Overconfident Hindrance.

Racial Edges

The Unseen have exclusive access to the
following Racial Edges. These Edges can be taken at character creation if Edge
selections are available and the requirements are met. Alternatively, they can
be purchased with Experience Points as the character grows and develops.

Requirements:
Seasoned, Unseen, Low Light Vision.
The Unseen can now see beyond the visible spectrum. The character gains the Infravision Monstrous
Ability.

InuredRequirements: Seasoned, Unseen.
The Unseen has gotten pretty used to traipsing all over the place in the nude. She receives a +2 bonus on Survival rolls made to withstand environmental hazards.

Strangler

Requirements: Seasoned, Brawler, Unseen.

Because the Unseen risk exposing themselves to discovery by carrying weapons, the Eyeless had them train in unarmed combat techniques. When a character with the Strangler Edge succeeds on a grappling attempt, he not only entangles his foe but his foe is also Shaken (which usually requires a raise on the attack roll); if he scores a raise, then he may initiate an attempt to damage in the first round (rather than having to wait until the next round as usual).

Acceptance or Defiance

In a sense, the Unseen have had their identities stolen. Unable to see even the backs of their hands, many are driven by a compulsion to become visible again. Others embrace the power that anonymity gives them.

Stage 1: Acceptance

The Unseen laughs at the terror her bizarre appearance causes in others. She begins to fade from the view of even those with supernatural senses.Effect: The character gains a Minor psychological Hindrance (like Death Wish or Mean). Characters with infravision suffer normal lighting penalties to Notice and attack the character.

Stage 2: AcceptanceThe Unseen is invisible to even the supernatural eye as he loses more and more control over himself.Effect: The Unseen gains a new Major psychological Hindrance (such as Curious or Yellow). He is now fully invisible to infravision and scrying powers (like detect arcana) suffer a -2 penalty to detect the Unseen.

Final Stage: AcceptanceThe Unseen is undetectable by even magical means, but descends even deeper into madness.Effect: The Unseen contracts two more Major psychological Hindrances, but is now undetectable to scrying powers like detect arcana, farseeing, and object reading.

Stage 1: DefianceThe Unseen fights her way back to visibility one step at a time.Effect: There is now a dim outline around the Unseen, reducing the effect of her invisibility to -4 to Notice and attack. Her experience seeing through things gives her a +2 bonus to see through illusions and detect the invisible.

Stage 2: Defiance The Unseen is now able to become visible for short periods.Effect: The Unseen may now force his body back into visibility for a number of hours per 24 hour period equal to his Vigor die. This requires a success on a Vigor roll. While visible, the character no longer suffers the effects of Blank Expression. The bonus to pierce illusions and detect the invisible rises to +4.

Final Stage: DefianceThe Unseen finally becomes permanently visible again and fully regains her sense of self.Effect: The Unseen permanently loses the Blank Expression, Invisibility, and Megalomania racial powers. She is now immune to illusions and is the only kind of being that can see the Unseen. Thanks to Mitch Williams for the name!

Friday, January 24, 2014

Bifurserkers
The Nordheimer mercenaries that accompanied the Grand Coven already appeared odd to the Armies of Light -- their arms and armor were baroque and archaic compared to those of Morden -- so the appearance on the battlefield of men who seemed divided down the middle between armored warriors and primitive savages was first thought to be merely a Nordheim affectation. The champions of Morden were naturally taken aback when the first killing blow delivered to one of these bifurcated men meant he split apart into two hale and hearty warriors!Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8.Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Shooting d6, Throwing d6.Charisma: 0 Pace: 6 Parry: 6 or 7 (see below) Toughness: 8 (2; see below)Hindrances: Loyal, Vengeful (Major)Edges: Acrobat, Berserker, Combat Reflexes (see below).Equipment: Brigandine armor, flintlock musket (2d8, ROF 1, 10/20/40, 2 actions to reload), Nordheim longsword (Str+d8), Nord axe (Str+d6, ROF 1, 3/6/12). Special Abilities

Bifurcation Berserkergang: When a Bifurserker is Incapacitated, he splits into two separate beings with their own Wound tracks. (Thankfully, most Bifurserkers are Extras.) These separated beings then go Berserk (as per the Edge) as they fight furiously to be recombined. While split, the savage warrior gains the benefits of the Acrobat Edge since he is no longer encumbered; his Parry increases to 7 while his Toughness decreases to 6. The civilized warrior retains the combined form's armored Parry and Toughness. Bifurserkers recombine 1d6 rounds after they win in battle; if one half has been killed, the other half dies when they are reunited.

Go for the Throat: With a raise on its attack roll, the Great White Rabbit hits the target's most weakly armored location.

Improved Block: As the Edge.

Improved Dodge: As the Edge.

Improved Frenzy: As the Edge.

Improved Tough as Nails: As the Edge.

Pounce: Marcher Hares may leap 1d4" to gain a +4 to hit and damage. Parry is reduced by -2 until its next action. Because of its size, it can easily pounce back and forth between man-sized targets in melee.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Loki in both of his/ her forms. S/he likes to do this to mess with people.

The scholars of Morden are perplexed by the Witch called
Loki.Loki’s motivation, modus operandi, and even gender seem to
randomly shift from encounter to encounter.The Warlock-Witch of Nordheim is a puzzle to her/his enemies.

S/he is also a puzzle to her/his allies.Loki has claimed to be an extraplanar alien,
a god/dess, an alien god/dess, a pair of fraternal twins fused together by an
early magical mishap, a cursed prince/ss, and a self-aware fictional
character.Some have posited that s/he’s
actually a mole from the Unseelie Fae and not a proper Witch at all.Loki has told different stories to different
Witches and different stories to the same Witches.

During the Bane War, Loki offered little (apparent) magical
assistance to her/his allies.S/he
summoned a few frost giants here and a few fire giants there, crafted a few
illusions and enabled a few surprise attacks with her/his rainbow bridge, but
generally s/he played at being the general of the Nordheim mercenaries.It was only secretly, and without the
knowledge of the Grand Coven, that s/he began creating her Hiding Ones and
planting her other unpredictable Banes throughout Morden.

Loki usually appears as either a suavely handsome young man
or a seductive young woman with green eyes and black hair; s/he often switches
back and forth between genders during encounters, earning her/him the title “Warlock-Witch.”S/he has also appeared in other forms – a child,
a mare, a frost giant – but prefers to be recognizable to her/his foes; it’s
more fun that way.

Goals

Loki’s only goal seems to be to sow chaos and watch the
results.The Warlock-Witch seems to care
very little as to whether s/he or her/his allies are winning or losing, as long
as there’s plenty of sex and violence to keep her/him entertained.This flighty detachment from the
ramifications of her/his actions fuels speculation that Loki is one of the
Unseelie.

Style of Magic

Loki enjoys transformations and manipulating emotions.Her/his favorite approach to anything is to
take a single flaw and magnify it, wreaking havoc out of her/his victim’s own
fears and desires.S/he also specializes
in bending reality in artful (and awful) ways.

The rainbow bridge s/he used to transport troops across
canyons and rivers is an example of the latter.A simple trick of light and mist should not be able to carry armored
soldiers and field artillery, and yet it did on more than one occasion.Rabbits shouldn’t be vicious carnivores,
clowns shouldn’t be murderous fiends, and men shouldn’t change into monsters
right before your eyes.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Everyone has secrets.
Everyone has dark urges and dirty thoughts they keep hidden. Everyone has a monster inside.

Loki the Transgressor, the Warlock-Witch of Nordheim, took
no interest in the captive Outlanders who formed the initial stock of
Accursed. Like O-koroshi-hime, she
(sometimes he) had been recruited by
the Crone for the temporal power she already wielded in Nordheim; he (sometimes
she) was well compensated with
plunder. S/he reveled in releasing
her/his berserkers upon the battlefields and appeared well-satisfied with
her/his place in the war.

That was all a ruse, of course; it was just one of the
countless subterfuges the Transgressor plotted against both allies and
enemies. S/he wasn’t interested in
making her/his own Witchbreed from the Outlanders because they were going to be
mere soldiers in the Bane War. S/he
didn’t want to simply conquer Morden; s/he wanted to sow chaos.

When captives were taken from the Armies of Light, when
nations fell to the Witches, then Loki became interested. It was then that the possibility arose to
break the rules, to plant seeds of chaos that would sprout long after the
fighting was done. Loki cursed the
captives s/he took and let them loose again; Loki worked her/his magic on babes
in the womb and let the mothers escape.

The nascent Hiding Ones fought for months or even years
alongside their companions in the Armies of Light, unaware of what the
Warlock-Witch had done to them even as the curse worked its changes. Their personality flaws grew worse; some grew
bitterly jealous when they were passed over for promotion, others became
callous toward the suffering of civilians and their fellow soldiers, and still
others grew prideful and reckless. In
all cases, a simmering rage began to boil in the unwitting Hiding Ones’
breasts.

One by one, the Hiding Ones’ inner monster was
unleashed. Jibes between rivals suddenly
turned deadly when one party was seized with a maniacal strength and tore the
other apart. Frightened soldiers went
mad and slaughtered their own squads.
Wounded warriors returned home turned on their families and friends. Horror crept secretly amongst the people only
to reveal itself in sudden violence.

Those Hiding Ones who survived their initial attacks of
madness discovered that Loki had saved her/his cruelest jest for them; after
their spate of madness, the Hiding Ones returned to their normal selves with
full memories of the awful deeds they wrought.
Most surviving Hiding Ones now live nomadic existences, seeking cures
for their afflictions or staying one step ahead of the authorities. Worse still, those cursed children have come
of age – some deep in the hearts relatively free lands like Hebron and Manreia – and soon they will
experience their first fits of madness.

Witchbreed Package

All Hiding Ones gain the following racial package:

Brute Form: When
Hiding Ones lose their self-control, they change into a powerful Brute
Form. The exact characteristics of this
form may be different between individuals; some manifest as hairy, Vargr-like
creatures, others resemble Devolved Men, and some take on unnatural skin tones
like green or red. This transformation into a brutish personification of id reduces Smarts by two steps (to a minimum of d4) and Charisma
suffers a -2 penalty. The Hiding One
also gains the benefits of Hardy, Hulking Hands, and Maniacal Strength.

Hardy: While in
Brute Form, if a Hiding One is Shaken, further Shaken results do not cause a
wound.

Hulking Hands:
The heavy fists of a Hiding One in her Brute Form do Str+1d4 damage. Hiding Ones in their Brute Forms are never considered Unarmed Defenders.

I’m Always Angry:
It might manifest as a lingering self-loathing that makes the Hiding One
irritable in the company of others, or it might be jealousy of all who don’t
share his burden. It might even be a
genuine contempt for humanity fueled by the Hiding One’s hidden sense of superiority. In any case, Hiding Ones
who are wounded (including a Shaken result from physical damage) or lose a Test
of Will in their human form must make a Smarts roll or involuntarily assume
their Brute Form. Hiding Ones in their
Brute Form already who are wounded or lose a Test of Will must make a Smarts
roll or go Berserk as per the Edge.

Maniacal Strength: While in Brute Form, a Hiding One’s Strength and Vigor increase by two dice steps. This can take both attributes over d12+2.

Racial EdgesHiding Ones have exclusive access to the following Racial Edges. These Edges can be taken at character creation if Edge selections are available and the requirements are met. Alternatively, they can be purchased with Experience Points as the character grows and develops.

Extreme Size ChangeRequirements: Hiding One, Novice
Some Hiding Ones add significant amounts of bone and muscle mass when they transform. A character with this Edge grows to Size +4 when he transforms, gaining a +4 to Toughness but characters trying to attack the Hiding One add +2 to their rolls.

InfravisionRequirements: Hiding One, Novice.
While in Brute Form, the Hiding One can see in the infrared spectrum -- allowing him to see opponents' body heat. The character halves lighting (and invisibility!) penalties when attacking living targets.

Slow RegenerationRequirements: Hiding One, Veteran
The Hiding One makes a natural Healing roll once a day.

Acceptance or Defiance

Most Hiding Ones seek an end to the curse that has severed them from their families and friends, but some grow to revel in the raw power of their Brute Form.

Stage 1: Acceptance

Whether motivated by revenge against the Witches or fiendish joy in her madness, the Hiding One begins welcoming the change and the rage.Effect: The character suffers a -1 to resist I'm Always Angry. She adds +2 to the damage she does with her Hulking Hands.

Stage 2: Acceptance
The transformation comes easier and easier as the Hiding One becomes more and more a monster.Effect: The Hiding One's Strength increases by three steps in Brute Form. I'm Always Angry suffers a -2 penalty.

Final Stage: Acceptance
The Hiding One is quick to fall into a berserker rage while he grows even tougher to subdue.Effect: The Hiding One's Vigor increases by three steps in Brute Form. The Hiding One's suffers a -2 penalty on Smarts rolls and all related skills while in Brute Form.

Stage 1: Defiance
The Hiding One begins to control her rages.Effect: The Hiding One suffers only a one step penalty to Smarts when she assumes her Brute Form and gets a +1 bonus to resist I'm Always Angry. The Hiding One's Strength bonus is reduced to one die. Her Brute Form becomes more human-looking and imposes only a -1 penalty to Charisma.

Stage 2: Defiance
The Hiding One gains even greater self-control. When he assumes his Brute Form, there is hardly any physical change.
Effect: The Brute Form now imposes no Charisma penalty. The Hiding One's Vigor bonus is reduced to one die and he gains a +2 bonus to resist I'm Always Angry.

Final Stage: Defiance
The Hiding One is now completely human again. She has mastered her will so much that she can no longer be fooled by others.Effect: The Hiding One loses the benefits of Brute Form (including Hardy, Hulking Hands, and Maniacal Strength) as well as the penalties of I'm Always Angry. The hand-to-hand combat experience gained means the Hiding One is still not considered an Unarmed Defender when unarmed and may take the Martial Artist and Improved Martial Artist Edges even though they are not normally available in this setting. She is immune to Test of Will.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Among the most bizarre Banes the Murder Maiden has created
is the Hungry Mask.The Bane is a spirit
of desire bound to the material plane by the mask.Unable to satisfy its insatiable cravings, it
inevitably turns to violence; as O-Koroshi-hime knows, desire is the source of
all suffering.

The Hungry Mask appears as vaguely human-shaped blob of
black ectoplasm surmounted by a painted wooden mask of the Sakuradan theater
tradition.Childlike in intelligence but
with the full range of human desires, it flits about the countryside seeking
gratification.It usually begins by
demanding food and drink from a farmstead or village, gorging on what is
offered and growing larger and larger.Eventually its needs turn darker and it runs amok in an orgy of violence.

The body of a Hungry Mask is a gooey mass of black
ectoplasm; it has the consistency of pudding at the center and fades to
ethereality at the edges. The only solid
part of the creature is the mask itself, and a Hungry Mask can ooze through any
opening large enough to permit the mask to pass.

Multilimbed Frenzy: Using
a combination of bites and pseudopods, a Hungry Mask may attack up to three
times per round at no penalty.

Quasi-Etheral:
While the ectoplasmic body of a Hungry Mask is effectively a squishy liquid
rather than truly ethereal, it functions in much the same way. It cannot be harmed by physical attacks, but
is affected by magical items and weapons, supernatural powers, fire, and acid
(though flasks of acid or oil flung at the Hungry Mask will simply pass through
the ectoplasm rather than breaking). It
can still exert enough solidity to physically strike people and smash objects.

Weakness (Mask):
Destroying the mask of a Hungry Mask breaks the enchantment and banishes the
spirit. The mask has a Toughness of 12
and follows the rules for Breaking Things (Savage
Worlds Deluxe p. 71); it is a Small Target (-4 to hit).

The primary focus of O-Koroshi-hime’s lingering interest in
Morden is punishing her recalcitrant Deathmasques. To this end, she has dispatched her most feared
assassins to hunt them down. Faceless
Hunters have traded their identities for the ability to magically alter their
bodies to appear to be anyone – just by wearing that person’s skinned face as a
mask. Many a long-suffering Deathmasque
has befriended some innocent only to have that person later murdered and
replaced by a Faceless Hunter that plot’s the Deathmasque’s end.

Faceless Hunters practice strange unarmed fighting arts
unknown in Morden and are experts at moving unseen. Higher ranking Faceless Hunters may be adept
at their own form of Witchcraft or have unique powers granted by the Murder
Maiden. Faceless Hunters are highly
competitive and do not operate well in groups.

Equipment: When
not using weapons scrounged from the people they impersonate or stolen from
their targets, Faceless Hunters carry an unusual Sakuradan survival knife
(Str+d4, +1 on Survival rolls) and star-shaped Sakuradan throwing knives
(Str+d4, ROF 1, 3/6/12, often paired with Rapid Attack)

Special Abilities

Face-stealing: If
a Faceless Hunter flays a person’s face off and wears it as a mask, then the
Faceless Hunter is magically transformed to appear precisely like that person
regardless of differences in age, height, weight, and gender. The Faceless Hunter’s voice will be a perfect
imitation of the individual whose face they have stolen, but they will not have
any of the person’s memories or skills; for this reason, Faceless Hunters
usually spend several days or even weeks observing their targets before making
their move.

Inverse
Ninja Law: Faceless Hunters are highly competitive. Instead of receiving a gang-up bonus when
attacking in groups, they receive a penalty corresponding to the normal bonus.

I was going to create a new Bane for this guy and then I realized he was just a Metal Juggernaut with a katana.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

The Witch called O-Koroshi-hime has ruled the distant nation
of Sakurada for generations. The Murder
Maiden first appeared during an intense civil war in Sakurada. It was a time of merciless bloodshed; clan
fought clan, brother fought brother, for the dubious title of ruler of the isolated
island nation. Finally, there arose an
unstoppable general – a man who would use any and all means to achieve his ends
– a man in love with murder.

Ado Naganobu was a man without mercy, a man without pity, a
man without remorse. He killed his own
brother in open combat to inherit rulership of their clan. He married his sister to a rival and then
slaughtered the man’s army when his rival was convinced they were allies. He burned the monasteries of the native faith
because they granted shelter to his enemies and crucified the Enochian
missionaries for preaching peace. He
introduced firearms to the battlefield, gunning down enemies armed only with
bows and swords. He drank rice wine from
the skulls of his enemies.

As the conflict escalated, the men under Ado’s command
became fiercer and more sadistic. They
would burn whole villages to light their camps by night. They took the heads of their opponents as
trophies. They became monstrous.

A last alliance of the free clans came to battle Ado
Naganobu. Surprisingly, he offered them
a chance to negotiate and invited the leaders to his tent. Here
they finally learned the awful truth about the Devil General: he was merely the
thrall of a greater power. On the plain
of Daikodo the clans of Sakurada were introduced to Ado’s goddess. They beheld the might of O-Koroshi-hime.

She appeared like a young girl from a foreign land. Blonde, petite, and pretty, she was dressed
in night-dark black. No man could meet
her eyes; for all her childlike appearance, her will could beat down anyone who
approached her. The bravest warrior of
the free clans gouged out his eyes and rushed her; she laughed and her laughter
became knives that cut him to ribbons – bloody ribbons she tied into her hair
and affixed as bows to her dress. They
knew she was a goddess made flesh… and they surrendered.

Sakurada is now a military dictatorship where the descendant
of Ado rules as Lord High General and O-Koroshi-hime is worshipped as
God-Empress. Cruelty is the law of the
land. Parents sell their daughters into
prostitution for enough rice to live through winter. The knights of Sakurada test the sharpness of
their wondrous steel sabers on condemned prisoners – or peasants in the street
when they feel like it. Uprisings are put
down with brutal savagery. The Murder
Maiden revels in the anguish of the people.

Goals

Unsurprisingly, O-Koroshi-hime joined the Grand Coven more
as a lark than from any great ambition.
She is already God-Empress of Sakurada, so the conquest of Morden was of
little concern to her. The Sakuradans
are mercenaries in as much as O-Koroshi-hime was promised payment by the Crone;
that payment was new subjects on which to refine the art of killing, and the Murder
Maiden was paid well. When the Grand Coven was broken, she took her army and
left, like a spoiled child bored of a game.

And yet, O-Koroshi-hime is not quite satisfied. There are Deathmasques who resisted her
indoctrination – who refuse to worship her as their goddess – still on the
loose in Morden. She has dispatched
Banes and assassins to destroy these apostates; they vex her and as they
continue to vex her, Morden begins to vex her.
This irritation begins to become an ambition. She’ll show those traitors who is the master,
and perhaps she’ll show all Morden what it means to defy her.

Style of Magic

The Murder Maiden is the mistress of pain and cruelty. She can telekinetically control any weapon
from the humblest knife to the mightiest cannon. She excels at inducing fear.

Much of her magic involves masks. She knows that the anonymity of a mask frees
a man from his inhibitions; when no one knows it’s you, you can be as cruel as
you want without fear of repercussions. When
she imbues a mask with a little of her own essence, a little of her limitless
cruelty and desire to inflict pain, then the wearer of that mask can become the
most terrifying monster in the world.

When the armies of the Grand Coven descended from the
mountains, the Accursed and Banes were accompanied by human soldiers. Some of the most fearsome of these “mercenaries”
were the warriors of Sakurada. Clad in
laminate armor of strange, baroque design and wielding matching pairs of long
and short sabers, the Sakuradan forces were fierce and proud opponents. The leaders of the Armies of Light tried
several times to no avail to woo these strangely honor-bound mercenaries to
their cause; why they would serve the Witches was a question on many lips. The answer was that they were not mercenaries
at all, but rather the loyal subjects of the ruler of Sakurada – O-Koroshi-hime,
the Murder Maiden.

While the Murder Maiden’s greatest contribution to the Grand
Coven’s war effort was manpower, she eventually began lending her magical
talents to it as well.Captured enemy
soldiers who had distinguished themselves in battle were brought to her and
indoctrinated into the death cult of the Sakuradan warriors.Porcelain masks -- inspired in equal parts by
the masked dramas of Sakurada and the masked helmets of the Sakuradan military –
were fused to the trained killer’s faces.They became the Deathmasques, the last-born Witchbreed.

Deathmasque indoctrination involved a regimen of inspired
cruelty.Candidates were first broken by
being imprisoned in pits in the ground or wooden cages too small for them to
stand or lay down, starved or denied water for days on end, and beaten by their
captors.Once their wills were weak
enough, they were given weapons and forced to fight among themselves.The victors were suddenly treated like
royalty, dressed in silks and fed strange Sakuradan delicacies.They were treated to masked dramas
celebrating the lives of cruel warriors and sermons exulting the cult of the
Murder Maiden.Finally, they were
allowed the chance to abuse new captives; those who not only accepted but also
relished this opportunity were given the final baptism.Porcelain masks, fresh from the ovens, were
affixed to their faces and O-Koroshi-hime breathed her dark magic into them.

The Deathmasques quickly established a reputation as the
monster even monsters fear.Their
single-minded devotion to murder as an end in of itself was incomprehensible in
a way the bloodlust of vampires or the hunger of Vargr were not.If they had been introduced earlier in the
war, they might have won the field for the Witches, but the breaking of the
Coven meant that the Murder Maiden picked up her toys and went home.

A double handful of Deathmasques were able to break their
conditioning and escape the retreating Sakuradan army.All of them had some redeeming particle of
compassion left in their souls; some refused to kill children or animals,
others loved music, and one had refused to kill anything except fellow killers.They have found few friends among the
Accursed – their atrocities are too terrible for most to forgive – but the
Order of the Penitent proclaims that anyone can be redeemed if they feel true
remorse.

Witchbreed Package

All Deathmasques gain the following racial package:

Bonded Mask: The powers of a Deathmasque stem from the accursed mask
provided by his supernatural patron. These masks are fused with the
Deathmasques’ faces, preventing them from being able to eat or drink as normal
humans. The Deathmasques instead feast on the act of killing itself. A
Deathmasque must kill a living being (sentient or animal) with his own hands
once every 24 hours or suffer the effects of the Habit (Major) Hindrance. A
Deathmasque Incapacitated by the final stage of withdrawal may be revived by
having the blood of a freshly-slain victim poured over its body but (as per
usual with the Hindrance) the Fatigue levels sustained will last for 1d6 days.

Hole in Your Heart: All Deathmasques suffer from the Bloodthirsty and
Vengeful (Major) Hindrances; there is a burning hatred of mankind in their
breasts that can never be entirely extinguished.

Horrifying Visage: The unnerving blank mask a Deathmasque wears imposes
a -2 penalty to Charisma; combined with the penalties from Bloodthirsty, this
gives Deathmasques a Charisma penalty of -6.

No Escape: It is nearly impossible to throw a Deathmasque off your trail. They begin with a d8 in Tracking; they may raise it
to d12+2 using normal advances and up to d12+4 using the Professional and
Expert Edges.

Terrifying Reputation: Everyone knows about the atrocities committed by
the Deathmasques; the tales are told around campfires and whispered in the
dark. Combined with the malevolent magic bound into their masks, this makes
beholding a Deathmasque a terrifying experience for most people. Human Extras beholding a masked Deathmasque must make a Fear check
against terror. A deep, concealing hood may allow the Deathmasque to briefly
mingle amongst normal folk, but sooner or later someone is going to peek.

Trained Killer: Deathmasques indoctrination made them experts in the art of killing. They begin with a d8 in Fighting; they may raise it to d12+2
using normal advances and up to d12+4 using the Professional and Expert Edges.

Racial Edges
Deathmasques have
exclusive access to the following Racial Edges. These Edges can be taken at
character creation if Edge selections are available and the requirements are
met. Alternatively, they can be purchased with Experience Points as the
character grows and develops.

Chosen Victim

Requirements: Deathmasque, Novice, Notice d6+, Tracking d8+.
The Deathmasque designates a specific individual (that he has at least seen but
need not be familiar with) as the victim of his murderous rampage. The
Deathmasque then gains a +2 bonus to Notice and Tracking rolls to find this
unfortunate person until that person is dead.

Implacable Pursuit

Requirements: Deathmasque, Seasoned, Chosen Victim.
Nothing will keep the predator from his prey. The Deathmasque suffers no
movement penalties for crouching or difficult ground (SWD p. 65) when pursuing
his Chosen Victim.

Don’t Look Away

Requirements: Veteran, Chosen Victim.
The Deathmasque has become so attuned to the pursuit of his Chosen Victim and so
infused with the supernatural powers of his mask that his bloodlust can pull
him through space to the victim’s side. Whenever the Deathmasque is with 15” of
his Chosen Victim and the victim is either unable to see the Deathmasque or is
not looking at him, the Deathmasque can attempt to teleport (as per the power) using his Spirit as the associated
Attribute. A success moves the Deathmasque to the nearest solid surface within
5” of the victim; a raise means he is now standing right behind her!

Acceptance or
Defiance

A Deathmasque who defies his curse may almoist beable to return to a normal life, while those who accept it can become the most feared of all Witchbreed.

Stage 1: Acceptance

The Deathmasque begins to embrace his bloodlust. He now exudes a supernatural aura that makes even animals recoil in dread. Effect: The Deathmasque’s presence now terrifies natural animals as well as humans;
this makes it impossible for the Deathmasque to travel by horseback or
carriage. The Deathmasque may also take any one Combat Edge for which he
qualifies. The Deathmasque’s addiction to killing is no longer satisfied by
animals; he must kill at least one sentient being every 24 hours.

Stage 2: Acceptance
Not even the most stalwart human can see the Deathmasque without a shiver of fear; even Banes begin to fear him.Effect: Human Wild Cards and supernatural Extras (Banes, fae, etc) must make a Fear check when beholding the Deathmasque. He
must now kill at least one sentient being every 12 hours; thankfully, he no
longer needs to sleep.

Final Stage: Acceptance

At this stage, most Deathmasques are forced into lives of solitude as even their fellow Accursed begin to fear them. Thankfully, even the most powerful Banes are wary of them too. Effect:
The Deathmasque’s presence now even terrifies Witchbreed and Bane Wild Cards as they
instinctively recognize the predator in their midst. The Deathmasque must now
kill a sentient being at least once every 6 hours.

Stage 1: Defiance
It is surprisingly easy to tear the mask from one’s face, though it leaves hideous scars. Effect: The Deathmasque may
now eat and drink as normal instead of surviving on the act of murder itself. Tearing off the mask
leaves horrifying scars, however, so the Deathmasque now has the Ugly
Hindrance (-2 to Charisma) whenever he doesn’t wear his mask so all told the
Deathmasque’s Charisma penalty actually doesn't change. The Terrifying
Reputation ability only works when wearing the mask.

Stage 2: Defiance
Slowly but surely the Deathmasque reacclimates to society.Effect: The Deathmasque is now able to make peace with some of his homicidal rage. The
Deathmasque loses the Bloodthirsty Hindrance (including its Charisma penalty),
but he is out of practice in hunting victims and loses a die of Tracking.

Final Stage: DefianceThe Deathmasque is able to reject the magical effects of the Murder Miaden's conditiong, but the psychological scars remain.Effect:
The Deathmasque is no longer addicted to killing. His scars magically heal -- ridding himself of the Ugly Charisma penalty -- he but loses a die of Fighting as his skills
are blunted by lack of practice. Unfortunately, he is still Vengeful (Major)
and so may be easily provoked into donning the mask again to terrorize his
perceived enemies; he will have to fight this terrifying wrath for the rest of
his life.

The Deathmasque originally featured a bonus to Strength. This "maniacal strength" is more appropriate for the next Witchbreed in this series -- the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-ispired Hiding Ones.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Reef pirates are not so named because of where they lurk,
but because their sea-changed bodies resemble reefs infested with coral, crabs,
and eels.Despite the parasites that are
slowly transforming them into inhuman monsters, most reef pirates cling to
their old lives.

Reef pirates are not technically undead, but share many of
their traits.The human bodies of reef
pirates are dead and so have the bonus to Toughness and immunity to called
shots that protect most undead.The
primitive nerve structure of the corals and sea beasts that animate and inhabit
reef pirates grant the pirates the usual undead bonus to recover from being
Shaken, but the parasites are alive and so are susceptible to disease and
poison.

Quasi-Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; called shots do no extra damage.No immunity to poison or disease.

Rot Shark

A rot shark is the rotting carcass of a shark animated by a
parasitic arthropod hiding in the shark’s belly, only its multi-jointed legs
visible as they sprout from the shark’s body.The overpowering stench of a rot shark and the instinctive arachnid
response provoked by the hideous gigantic arthropod legs make the rot shark a
source of retching horror for most who encounter it.

Rot sharks are technically not undead, but share many of
their traits.The body of the shark
itself is dead and so has the bonus to Toughness and immunity to called shots
that protect most undead.The primitive
nerve structure of the parasite means it still receives a bonus to recovering
from Shaken, but called shots to the limbs may cripple the creature.Rot shark parasites are immune to disease but
poison administered directly to the parasite has normal effectivess.

These statistics cover a rot shark spawned from the corpse
of a great white shark between 18 and 25 feet long.Larger specimens may well exist, as well as
rot sharks spawned from smaller maneaters.Smaller rot fish likes pirhana and barracuda have been reported.

*Armor +2:The chitinous shell of the parasite protects its legs and the visible portion that protrudes from the shark’s underbelly; this armor does not apply to the rest of the rot shark.

Fear -2: The terrifying combination of shark and spider-like legs makes most humanoids react in instinctive horror at the sight of a rot shark.

Large: Attackers add +2 to their attack rolls when attacking a rot shark due to its size.

Quasi-Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; called shots do no extra damage (except for called shots directly to the parasite).

Size +4:Great white rot sharks can grow up to 25’ in length.

Stench: The stink of decay that clings to a rot shark forces all breathing creatures vulnerable to disease and poison within a Large Burst Template of the shark to make a Vigor roll when they first encounter it or be Shaken.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

At the end of the Bane War, five of the thirteen Witches of
the Grand Coven retreated beyond the boundaries of Morden.It was assumed by most inhabitants of the
continent that these Witches had lost interest in the war and returned to their
own domains. While several of the five
have indeed returned to their own domains, none of them have forgiven or
forgotten the people of Morden.

Sycorax the Sea Hag is able to continue her dreams of
conquest in anonymity.Her domain is the
sea and all that dwells within it, and so she has retreated to her underwater
cavern deep beneath the Discordian Sea.In drowned darkness she dwells, dreaming dire nightmares of plunder and
madness.She sends her Calibanoid
servants to infiltrate coastal communities, her re-animated pirates to pillage,
and her shark monsters to eliminate the recalcitrant.What she cannot have, she will destroy.

The Sea Hag’s natural appearance is a tall and gaunt human
woman of advanced years.Her skin is a
waxy green, but a simple glamour allows her to adopt normal human skin
tones.She can adopt the appearance of
anyone who has died at sea; these disguises carry visible marks of their deaths
(the drowned are bloated or have clothes that constantly drip water, the
devoured bear the bite that killed them) and so she resorts to them with
caution.She can also adopt the form of
any sea creature, though always with her own hook-nosed visage.

Goals

Sycorax is a creature of avarice who desires the wealth of
the surface world.What she intends to
do with the gold and jewels she amasses is a mystery.It is possible that – like an octopus – she simply
hoards shiny things, but it seems more likely she has some long-term plan.Perhaps the gems and coins are intended as a
sacrifice for mystical power, or perhaps her insidious plan is to simply buy
the power that conquest could not achieve.

Style of Magic

Command of wind and wave, power over fish and fowl and sea-beast,
and the ability to enact terrible “sea-changes” on men and objects alike
summarize the most commonly-seen powers of the Sea Hag.

Sycorax, unlike the Morrigan, cannot revive the dead, but
she can achieve a similar effect by infecting bodies with the eggs and larvae
of hideous crustaceans and mollusks that can animate the dead as a hive
mind.This is how she animates her
zombie pirates and rot sharks.Corrupting symbiosis between fish and human also seems to be the secret
behind her deathly mermaids.

Those unfortunate few who have witnessed Sycorax conjuring
her magic report that she invokes strange alien entities with irreproducible names
– names that were not meant to be pronounced by a human throat but which flow
from Sycorax’s mouth as if they were her native tongue.King Caliban, first and greatest of the
Calibanoids, is said to be her spawn from a union with these dwellers in
darkness.The Sea Hag weaves a
treacherous web in attempting to command and use these alien devils; a single
misstep and she might become the prey instead of the master.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Calibanoids are the grotesque fish-men witchbreed of Sycorax
the Sea Hag, one of the five members of the Grand Coven who have (apparently) fled
Morden. Calibanoids appeared late in the
Bane War during belated attempts by the Witches to disrupt the movement of war
materiel from Manreia. Their dependency on
water kept them from having a significant presence in any of the major battles,
and some amongst both humans and Accursed even doubt their existence.

Fearful rumor in and around Port Sorrow disagrees.

Calibanoids are amphibious, scaly humanoids with a perverse
fixation on breeding more of their kind.
It is conjectured that one reason for their late arrival in the war was
that they were not transformed human captives but rather the unholy children of
said captives. Regardless, the “Caliban
look” – wide-spaced, goggly eyes and oddly-blotched skin – is becoming more
common in the ports of the Discordian Sea.

Calibanoids are hardier than humans and have armor-like
scales that can turn sword thrusts. They
are immune to the incredible pressure of the ocean’s depths, but are at a
disadvantage on land. Their senses are
ill-adapted to the surface; sound travels easier underwater and Calibanoid ears
are underdeveloped while their eyes are adapted to the dimness of the sea and
can be blinded by the surface sun. An
eerie shared yearning for life under the sea unites all Calibanoids and this
makes it difficult for any of them to rebel against Sycorax.

The tiny handful of Calibanoids who have joined the Order of
the Penitent admit to only the vaguest memories of a childhood on land,
contrasted with an often overwhelming desire to plunge into the ocean’s
depths. They try to avoid the ocean, instead
traveling with non-Calibanoid companions along Morden’s many rivers. Those who avoid the siren’s call of the sea
find themselves literally shedding their scales and assuming a more human
appearance.

Witchbreed Package

All Calibanoid characters gain the following racial package:

Aquatic:
Calibanoids are creatures of the sea.
They cannot drown in water, swim at a pace equal to their full Swimming
skill (surface dwellers move at half their Swimming skill), and get a free d6
in Swimming.

Attuned to the
Depths: Calibanoid senses are adapted to living underwater. They are at a -2 penalty on all Notice checks
reliant on hearing while on the surface and a -2 (non-cumulative) penalty on
all Notice checks relying on sight during daylight.

Claws: The webbed
fingers of Calibanoids end in wicked claws that do Str+1d4 damage.

Deep Dweller:
Calibanoids are immune to the pressure and cold of even the deepest sea
trenches. They receive a +4 to resist
all cold effects on the surface as well.

Dehydration: Calibanoids
must immerse themselves in water one hour out of every 24 or become
automatically fatigued until they are Incapacitated, dying the day after
that. Immersing themselves in a
full-body bath is sufficient to prevent dehydration; they don’t have to find a
natural source of water.

Low Light Vision:
While the sun blinds them, Calibanoids are adapted to see perfectly in the dark
of the ocean. They suffer no penalties
for Dim and Dark lighting.

Horrifying: Calibanoids
are hideous fish-men. They receive a -4
penalty to Charisma.

Siren’s Call: A
Calibanoid within 1 mile, sight, or hearing range of the sea must make a Spirit
roll every night at midnight to resist the urge the plunge into the depths and
join his brethren.

Racial Edges

Calibanoids have
exclusive access to the following Racial Edges. These Edges can be taken at
character creation if Edge selections are available and the requirements are
met. Alternatively, they can be purchased with Experience Points as the
character grows and develops.

Flippers

Requirements:
Calibanoid, Novice

The Calibanoid is faster than almost anything under the
sea. He may roll Swimming to “run” while
Swimming.

Shark’s Maw

Requirements:
Calibanoid, Vicious Claws, Veteran

The Calibanoid’s evolution into a sea-predator
continues. The character’s teeth grow
and sharpen; he can now bite for Str+1d6 damage.

Vicious Claws

Requirements:
Calibanoid, Seasoned

The Calibanoid mutates further into a sea-beast. His claws grow and strengthen and now do
Str+1d6 damage.

Toxic Claws

Requirements:
Calibanoid, Vicious Claws, Veteran

The Calibanoid’s claws now excrete a paralytic toxin. If an opponent is Shaken or wounded by the
Calibanoid’s claws, it must make a Vigor roll or suffer Paralysis as per the
Poison Effects Table (Savage Worlds
Deluxe p. 89).

Acceptance or
Defiance

A Calibanoid who defies his curse may hope to almost pass
for human, while those who accept it can become fearsome sea monsters.

Acceptance or
Defiance

A Calibanoid who defies his curse may hope to almost pass
for human, while those who accept it can become fearsome sea monsters.

Stage 1: Acceptance

The Calibanoid who first begins to exult in his curse finds
himself becoming even more inhuman.
Spines and fins sprout from his limbs and back, his dependence on water
increases, and his natural weapons become deadlier.

Effect: The Calibanoid must now immerse himself for six out
of every 24 hours, armor increases to +4 to Toughness, damage for any natural
weapons increases by one step, and Charisma receives another -2 penalty.

Stage 2: Acceptance

The Calibanoid sprouts a tail that aids him in swimming and
he develops echolocation that enables him to see in complete darkness. The call of the sea becomes ever stronger.

Effect: The
addition of a tail allows the Calibanoid to make shark- or dolphin-like leaps
from the water (roll Swimming to jump as normal). Echolocation allows the Calibanoid to ignore
all darkness penalties for a Large Burst Template around him. He must now immerse himself for 12 out of
every 24 hours and suffers a -2 penalty on the Spirit roll to resist the Siren’s
Call.

Final Stage:
Acceptance

The Calibanoid must now spend the majority of his time in
the water as the urge to join his people becomes nearly unbearable and he grows
into a hulking sea titan.

Effect: The
Calibanoid must now spend 18 hours out of every 24 in water and suffers a -4
penalty on the Spirit roll to resist the Siren’s Call. He increases in size to +4, gaining a +4 to
Toughness but now his opponents are at +2 to hit him.

Stage 1: Defiance

The Calibanoid turns his back on the life aquatic and
attempts to acclimate to land. While he
loses some of his undersea adaptation, he finds life on the surface earlier.

Effect: The Calibanoid’s senses adjust to the surface (he
loses the Attuned to the Depths power) but loses his Low Light Vision.

Stage 2: Defiance

The Calibanoid becomes more human in appearance, piece by
piece. He can no longer withstand the
ocean’s depths as he once did.

Effect: The
Calibanoid’s claws become retractable.
His scales slough off, leaving oddly-mottled but human skin beneath; he
loses the Horrifying and Scaly powers.
He also loses the Deep Dweller power but gains a +2 to resist the Siren’s
Call.

Final Stage: Defiance

The Calibanoid is now as human as he will ever be.

Effect: The
Calibanoid no longer has his claws but he gains another +2 to resist the Siren’s
Call (+4 cumulative). He retains his
Aquatic power and must still fear Dehydration, but if he stays far from the
open ocean he may be able to live a normal life.

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